History and Culture of Albania

"Bunkers" can be seen everywhere

Albania is the country with the most bunkers per capita in the world, and is known as the "Kingdom of Bunkers".

A country with an area of ??only 28,000 square kilometers and a population of no more than 3 million is densely populated with hundreds of thousands of bunkers? This is a unique scene in Albania, the country of bunkers.

More than 100 million US dollars were spent on building the bunker array. In the early 1960s, Albania, as the "beacon of socialism" in Europe, was politically anti-American and anti-Soviet. At the same time, it also had historical grudges or territorial disputes with neighboring countries such as Italy, Greece, and Yugoslavia. It could be said that it was outside the country. , with enemy fortresses in all directions, giving this small mountainous country a strong sense of crisis. The leaders at that time put forward the slogan of "defending the enemy outside the country's borders". With rich experience in guerrilla warfare, they slightly adapted the Chinese formula of "dig a hole deep and accumulate grain widely" and shouted the loud slogan "hold a pickaxe in one hand and a gun in the other". One of the specific measures was to mobilize the entire population to build bunkers. Anyone who has been to Albania will be amazed by the dotted bunkers. In the vast rural fields, there is a row of bunkers every few hundred meters. There are various bunkers scattered on both sides of the road, on the mountainside of the mountain, in front of and behind the house, and even on the holiday beach. These pillboxes include open pillboxes and hidden pillboxes; there are group pillboxes with dozens of secret passages as dense as a spider web, and there are also lonely independent pillboxes; there are large command pillboxes that can hide hundreds of troops and are equipped with granaries and ammunition depots, and there are also just a few pillboxes. A single soldier bunker that can barely fit one person into it. However, the most common ones are semi-buried round blockhouses with a diameter of 3 to 4 meters. In the reporter's eyes, those iron-gray round blockhouses hidden in the grass look like an upside-down iron pot, or giant motionless turtles lying there peeping at passers-by.

The Albanian bunkers were built with high-quality reinforced concrete. It is said that the average cost at that time reached 250 US dollars. There were hundreds of thousands of bunkers across the country, with a total cost of more than 175 million US dollars, and the consumption of manpower and material resources was astonishing. Local people said that the cost and supplies of a bunker are enough to build a standard two-bedroom house. Due to the large amount of labor and materials consumed on the bunkers, the Albanians had to endure harsh living conditions for a long time.

In the 1990s, Albania’s political situation and surrounding situations underwent drastic changes. Today, peace and development have also become the main themes of this mountainous country. Logically speaking, these bunkers, which are far beyond the needs of self-defense, are an eyesore and occupy a lot of space, and should be demolished in large numbers. However, more than ten years later, many bunkers still remain unchanged. Investigating the reason, the first major problem is the lack of money and equipment: when building the bunker, we paid attention to the "enemy situation concept". The stronger the better, because even the artillery shells cannot be exploded, so it is of course difficult to dismantle it. A few years ago, in order to develop tourism, Albania hired NATO engineering troops to demolish hundreds of small bunkers on a beach. As a result, these soldiers used heavy equipment such as excavators, bulldozers, and cranes, and it took a lot of effort to barely deliver. . This is true for NATO engineers who are armed to the teeth, but it is naturally even more difficult for ordinary Albanian soldiers and civilians. Another problem is not having the right to demolish it. The "land reform" that began in 1992 distributed many bunkers and land to farmers, but what the farmers got was only the "right to use" the bunkers. The property rights still belonged to the military. No matter how intrusive they were, no one dared to move them unless the military said they would demolish them. it.

Among the bunkers that this reporter has seen, some have been converted into warehouses or sheep pens, some have been used as canteens or mushroom houses, and some have simply been converted into housing. Some bunkers in the scenic area were bought by wealthy people at low prices and turned into villas with a little decoration. They are warm in winter and cool in summer, which has a unique atmosphere. According to the reporter's inquiry, the price in the past few years was only about 50,000 yuan per unit. The bunkers on the edge of the city were occupied by farmers who came to work in the city, forming a "bunker version" of migrant villages. Some bunkers that don’t look good or are located in remote areas can often be used to make use of their remaining energy: some have been transformed into toilets for the convenience of passers-by; some have become Eden for passionate lovers to have trysts; some abandoned bunkers close to the border have even become illegal immigrants. The hiding place of the attacker, and even the starting point for digging secret tunnels leading to foreign countries.

"Bunkers" that can be taken with you

Although these bunkers have poor lighting, are difficult to modify, and have an awkward shape, they do not require rent and taxes, so they will naturally attract the attention of smart businessmen. favor. In 1985, a man named Kanna Dara fell in love with a large bunker on the beach that could accommodate dozens of people and transformed it into a "Bunker Hotel". The hotel is decorated like a military canteen, and the waiters are all from the military. Not only do they speak and behave in a military manner, but even the menus are written in standard military telegraph format.

It is said that during the peak tourist season, the only five "elegant rooms" need to be booked a week in advance. Inspired by the "Bunker Hotel", bars, cafes, and tourist shops set up in bunkers also appeared one after another. However, according to regulations, once a war breaks out, the military has the right to take back the bunker within 4 hours and return to the battle. What’s interesting is that there is also a “bunker” that you can not only buy for private use, but also take with you abroad! This is the famous Albanian bunker-style ashtray. This kind of ashtray has a marble base and a dome-shaped dust-proof shell on top. Together, it looks like a real Albanian round tower. People who travel to this country love to buy one and take it home as a collection. Albanians "nod their heads but don't shake their heads", that is, nodding means denial or disagreement, while shaking their heads means affirmation and agreement. The main meeting etiquette is shaking hands. Hugs, kisses, and cheek kisses are only allowed between relatives and acquaintances. Kiss between husband and wife. Parents and children kiss on the face and forehead, and relatives and friends of the same generation kiss on the cheek. When interacting with others, Albanian people are usually polite and well-spoken. Drinking coffee is the preference of Albanian people. The vast majority of Albanian people are Muslims, but they are not very religious. The lunch time of Albanian people is generally late, usually at three or four o'clock in the afternoon, and the dinner time is nine or ten o'clock in the evening. Albanian people have a strong sense of family. In most families, the hostess takes on almost all the housework.

Travel around the northernmost city of Bajram Curri, as its surrounding areas have been in turmoil. There are still landmines in the Bajram Chuli area near the northern border with Kosovo.

Don’t give alms randomly. Some tourists say begging is a problem in the country. Since Albania has been closed off for so long, most foreigners, especially black tourists, may attract curious looks.

If you cannot get an official receipt, you must firmly refuse to pay any fees. Also, please carry at least one copy of your passport with you.